“That’s assuming I survive the trip there without anything good to eat on the way,” Crow pointed out obstinately, taking another bite of his dinner. For as many mixed feelings as he’d had when he’d struggled to decide if he should become a nobleman, he had gotten hooked on the fine food almost as soon as he’d been given his new title. He was exaggerating about not making it all the way to the Younisian castle, but he was going to miss the meals he’d been able to eat in the inner kingdom. Maybe, if he was lucky and the peace treaty was a success, his father would consider throwing another banquet to celebrate the end of the war. It didn’t seem difficult to convince him to do it. Nobles liked their parties, after all, so it wouldn’t be an unpopular decision.

As supper carried on more peacefully than it had in the beginning, he chatted off and on with his sister while finishing the rest of his meal. As usual, he was the first to clean his plate, but he stayed seated until the others were done eating as well. Next on the list was sneaking away from the rest of the group with Penelope, but they needed to leave at separate times to keep from rousing Otto’s suspicions. He already knew that the baron would figure out they had wandered off together after they were gone for a while, but it was better to deal with his reprimand after they returned rather than have to convince him to let them go in the first place. So, he bided his time until the knight announced that she was going outside.

“Okay, see you later,” he smiled as she feigned kissing him on the cheek. He found it amusing that even though they had gone public with their relationship, they still had to sneak around behind the backs of some people. Their food was good, but nobles had too many rules to govern everyone’s lives. In this case, he knew Otto would be angry if he found out he was taking a risk by leaving the inn without more protection than just one knight. However, he was his own man, so he was going to make the final decision on whether or not he had to stay with the group every second of the day. The baron would just have to learn that he wasn’t going to let him dictate their entire trip.

“It will be the last door on the left in the left wing,” Otto answered Penelope’s question. Finished with his own meal, he stood up from the table. “The rest of us can head over now, so we can get plenty of rest before tomorrow’s ride.”

“Fine by me,” Crow agreed with a mask of compliance, rising to his feet as well. The others did the same, and they parted ways with Penelope, making their way to the room they would be sharing for the night.

When they got there, the first thing the viceroy noticed was that it was a very small space, even in comparison with the last inn they’d used. He stepped inside and looked around. One bed was pushed against the left wall, while the second bed was pushed against the right. They barely looked big enough to fit two people each. The Therouldes and the female members of their group were going be getting quite cozy with each other tonight. [i]And we will be too,[/i] he thought as he dropped his gaze to the floor in the middle of the room. Once the remaining three of them were laying down, there would be hardly any space leftover to walk.

The others began unloading any supplies they’d brought inside and removing their armor, but Crow lingered by the door. “I’m going to step out for a moment,” he announced, taking off his hat and tossing it carelessly onto a table near the entrance.

“Where are you going?” Otto asked, turning toward him with a stern frown.

“Relax, shepherd,” the former thief held up his hands. “I just need to use the privy, and I have a feeling that’ll be easier to do before there are bodies sprawled all over this tiny floor.” He stepped toward the door, casting the older man a confident smile. “I promise I won’t wander too far from the flock, so you have nothing to worry about. I’ll be back soon.”

Without waiting for a reply, he exited the room and made his way down the hall, eager to catch up with Penelope for their brief time away from the others.